5D's ABC's
by I am Lu
Summary: 26 one-shots based around the letters of the alphabet. Various couples, including Yusei x Aki, Mikage x Jack, Carley x Jack, Ushio x Mikage, Ruka x Sly, Misty x Kiryu, and more...
1. A is for Aftermath

Title: A is for Aftermath  
Couple(s): Yusei Fudo x Aki Izayoi, Tetsu Ushio x Mikage Sagiri  
POV: Aki Izayoi  
Language: Medium  
Maturity: Medium  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's

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_"Why love if losing hurts so much? We love to know that we are not alone."_

- C.S Lewis

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This is what it feels like when the thought that you may never see your loved one again dawns on you: the pit of your stomach turns to stone, while your muscles freeze as though the tissue had been exposed to frozen air. Your heart begins to race, as does your mind. Your throat seals itself shut, even as you try to cry out their name. Fear breathes down your neck like a terrible monster with sharp, hideous teeth.

I coughed violently, and fell to my knees as the excess of thick, black smoke burned my throat. I remembered being taught in school safety that if you were in the midst of a fire, you should get down and crawl to avoid toxic fumes from killing you. I briefly wondered though, would it be better to suffocate from the fumes, or to burn in the flames? I didn't have time to think about it.

I wanted so badly to run back and look for him; I didn't care if he told me to get out and run. I couldn't bear to think of losing him, and it was already hard enough to leave him in his heated duel with Placido, even under his orders. If he died in this hell of a burning furnace, then I don't think I, myself could go one living.

"Is anyone there!?" cried out a male voice from far ahead of me. His words seemed to blur muddily together. I lifted my head slightly and narrowed my eyes as I looked ahead into the mix of crimson flames and black smoke. I could see no one, but I heard the voice cry out again, "Please, I'm here to help you!"

At this point, I recognized this person's voice as Ushio's, so I mustered up all of the remaining strength within me and replied, "Ushio-san, I'm over here." My voice cracked and wavered, but I knew that he heard me as a clatter of footsteps came my way. I then realized that my vision had become blurry as the security officer came into sight, blacks and greens and browns all swirling together like ink when water had been spilled on it...

I stifled a yawn.

"Aki!" he said in surprise, as he scooped me up into his arms. "Don't you worry, I'm gonna get you outta' here, don't you worry..." I looked up into his face, which still looked like mush to me. I could barely make out the scar upon his cheek. '_Idiot_,' I thought to myself as he started to clamor through the agonizing heat. '_He probably ran into the burning building recklessly to impress Mikage_.'

I shortly passed out after this, and didn't come to until I could hear the sirens of ambulances and firetrucks in the distance. My eyes twitched, but I didn't dare open them; I feared what I would see, I feared what others would tell me... I clenched the ground beneath me, feeling the fresh dirt collect under my finger nails. Then, all reality came rushing back like a brisk slap in the face: my throat moaned with thirst, and my head was pounding with a powerful beat. I could taste coppery blood in my mouth, and I became very aware of every ache in my being, including my wrist, which I felt was broken.

"Oi! Mikage, it looks like she's waking up!"

"Oh, thank God!"

Mikage and Jack's voices hovered above me, and despite my sincere desire _not to_, I opened my eyes. The first thing that came in to focus was Mikage's honey irises, then the rest of her, and then Jack. I groaned and tried to sit up, but not before pain shot up my left arm. Mikage bit her lip and touched my shoulder very tenderly, easing me back down to the earth.

"The ambulance will be here soon, Aki-san, just wait a little bit longer. You're going to be fine, Ushio-san saved you..." I stared at her blankly; she blinked and looked up to Jack, who shrugged in response. I shut my watery eyes for a moment and sighed. I could feel my stomach churning uneasily, and I knew I was unsettled because of one thing.

Swallowing, I opened my dry, cracked lips to speak, "Where's Yusei?" Mikage gasped.

"I-I'm sorry, we haven't managed to find him..." Although I almost expected her to say such, it felt like everything in my world had suddenly come crashing down, like all the stars in the sky had actually fallen. My blood ran cold, and I felt like vomiting. If they hadn't located him by now, then he was gone, burned in the flames...

My shooting star was gone.

"No..."

I sat up for a second time, this time paying no attention to the sores in my body; I was too numb to feel, anyway.

"No..."

Mikage tried to lay me back down again, but I pushed her away with the what little strength I had. I staggered to my feet, my eyes widening as I saw the burning holocaust before me. The whole building was engulfed in flames, as if the entire warehouse was part of an unearthly bonfire. The smoke was smeared across the blue sky, and almost gave the impression of an oncoming storm.

I realized that I was shaking, and I felt someone put their hand on my shoulder. I glanced backward, and realized the person was Crow, still dressed in his delivery uniform--perhaps because he might have ditched out on his daily duties when received word that disaster had struck. I bit the bottom of my lip gently, and studied his features for a moment; the criminal marks on his face, his dull, gray eyes, his plain lips, which were curved downward in a frown. It was plain to see that he was worried, (more than worried, actually) yet he said to me calmly, "I still have faith that he's alive."

I couldn't tell whether he was lying or not. His voice was flat, almost dead.

I shook my head and fell to my knees. I wanted to beg him to pinch me, just for the reassurance that this all wasn't real, that this was just some terrible nightmare; that I would wake up and roll over to see Yusei beside me, sleeping soundly. And I could scoot closer to him, and then a little closer, and kiss the tip of his nose, so that I would no for sure that this was all fake, a fabrication of my subconsciousness.

Reality is unkind, though.

"Do... Do you really think so?" I asked Crow quietly, pathetically really. He stared at me silently, but gave no answer. I shut my eyes and felt burning hot tears start to build up. So he really was dead; everyone else was just feeding me sweet words of hope, _lies _in order to keep me from breaking down.

Why was I stupid enough to fall in love with him in the first place? I'm positive that if I hadn't, this, this feeling right now, wouldn't hurt so much; it wouldn't wouldn't feel like my heart had just been ripped out of my chest, it wouldn't feel like the whole world as I knew it had just fallen apart... I start to sob, silently, before I heard shouts and cries of awe ripple like a wave through the assortment of people behind me. I looked up.

And there he was.

His hair and clothes were singed, parts of his skin were burnt and black. His eyes were watery from the smoke, and forehead was dashed with a streak of blood, looking almost as if it had been painted on. But he was there.

And he was _alive_.

He stopped. And smiled. The edges of cobalt blue eyes softened mercifully, as if he had expected to find me in this state, battered and broken; just like when he first met me. I sat there motionlessly for a moment, shaking uncontrollably as I stared up at him, wondering if he was real, or just a figment of my imagination. Yet, the words tasted so sweet in my mouth, _'He is alive, he is alive, he is alive.'_

Now I just had to know for sure.

Bringing myself back to my feet, I stumbled forward, and he accepted me with open arms. _'Oh God,'_ I thought as his arms encircled my waist protectively, like a robe, _'He really is alive.' _I cupped his cheek and kissed him; it didn't matter that the entire Security force was watching, or half of the whole damn city for that matter. He was _here_, and he was _OK_.

Yusei remained despondent for a moment, but he soon kissed me too. And then again. And then again. And then again, until I briefly wondered whether the spectators behind us were starting to feel awkward. I imagined all their faces for a moment, assigning everyone some sort of reaction, one by one by one... Mikage was beaming, Crow was smirking with his arms crossed, Ushio was whining because he wished Mikage would kiss him like that, and Jack vomiting behind a bush. Yes, that sounded appropriate.

I felt as though my heart would burst, I was so relieved. It felt as though the whole ordeal was some sort of miracle, like heaven had opened its gates and poured out the blessing of life (or rather, the continuity of one.) And his affection made it all real, assured me that I was standing on real soil, that I was kissing a real man.

Perhaps, it was a miracle.

"Excuse me," said a deep voice a strong arm rudely pried my lover and I apart. I blinked and glared at the man, a firefighter whom had arrived on the scene a few minutes ago, "but we're evacuating the area. The fire is spreading, and the smoke has grown to pernicious levels." Yusei nodded in understanding, and taking my hand, lead me away. I noticed he was limping, much like myself. Mikage, Ushio, Crow, and Jack rushed to greet us.

"God, Yusei, you really are immortal," mentioned Ushio jokingly, although Mikage gently elbowed him in the ribs, warning him to be serious.

"There's an ambulance here, waiting to take you two," explained the blue-haired woman as her partner slipped away, dejected. Her eyes then fell to us, her lips pursed together, looking amazed. "It's incredible that you two are even standing; a normal human being could not endure such... injuries without constraint." Jack suddenly laughed.

"Unfortunately, they're not normal human beings," he added in amusement. Mikage blushed, realizing her error. Yusei only tightened his grip on my hand, and smiled at the woman sympathetically.

"Don't worry, Mikage-san, Aki and I will be sure to allow the medics to examine us." He said this with his usual, nonchalant demeanor, as if there wasn't really a burning hell behind him, as if he had simply forgotten that he had escaped it. Mikage stared at us incredulously as we walked toward the ambulance, and we could hear Jack and Crow break out in laughter again.

"You know, Ushio is right in a sense," I said aloud, looking at Yusei. "You're like a cat; you have nine lives." He chuckled and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek.

"I have a reason to live."

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Comments: fhjghiue REVERSE ORDER. I don't know, does anyone else find it ironic that the first chapter of this story is called "Aftermath?" Whatever.

Um, I feel like such a thief. Artemis Ignitan (Excellent writer, by the way, you should read their works) also did an ABC type of thing. But I didn't steal. I swear. I've wanted to do an ABC fic for awhile now. Um...

Also, this is super cheesy, but I so do not care because I need a little cheesy crap in my life right now. Mmm, delicious. Oh, and by "Not a normal human being", I meant that they're signers, and therefore immune to death. (I'm sarcastic, obviously. It's just that the Signers have found themselves in situations that they would have normally died in, except they didn't.)

Reviews are love. So if you love me, review. If you don't love me, review anyway.


	2. B is for Bad Balance

Title: B is for Bad Balance  
Couple(s): Carley Nagisa x Jack Atlas  
POV: Carley  
Language: Mild  
Maturity: None

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_"Do you often find yourself tripping over your feet as you walk?"_

-- Wii Fit

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_"... The roads are slick with ice this evening so be sure to be careful when driving tonight. That's all for the weather report today. Back to you, Angela... "_

Carley hardly paid attention to the drone of the television set as she stirred her coffee idly. She hated this news channel, partly because half of the stories were based loosely on rumors, (or to say it journalistically, if that was a word, _slander_) and partly because her rival reporter was the star of the station. Carley snorted inwardly about the irony of it all; she wrote about the truth, but unfortunately, Angela's lies were much more interesting to the general public.

The raven-haired woman sighed and rested her chin on the palm of her hand, her aquamarine eyes staring at the reflection of herself in the drink in front of her. She hadn't even taken a sip of it since she ordered it. It was probably cold by now. Carley pushed the cup away, and shuffled through her bag, looking for money to pay her untouched coffee.

She felt her stomach knot when she realized she was broke. Carley bit her lip. "Damn," she muttered under breath, closing her purse. She wondered if perhaps she gave the waitress an IOU, Carley could quickly drive back home and grab just enough to cash to pay for her drink. This was, after all, her favorite café, and she didn't want to be barred service simply because she forgot her wallet one evening.

Carley moaned and rubbed her temples in frustration. "I'm such a klutz," she mumbled to herself.

"That you are," said a familiar voice in a matter-of-fact tone behind her. Carley jumped in her seat slightly from surprise, and turned her neck just enough to see the one and only Jack Atlas, looking smug as ever. The reporter felt her breath get caught in her throat for a moment, feeling his violet irises scan over her menacingly, like a lion stalking his prey. "You forgot your money, didn't you?"

Carley nodded, looking slightly bewildered. Jack smirked and reached into his back pocket. "Let me get it then," he said, pulling out his own wallet, "How much was it?"

"I don't want you paying for me."

"I'm not paying; Crow's paying."

"Oh, well that makes it _so_ much better," she said sarcastically.

"Do you want me to help you or not?"

"Not if you're stealing from you're friend!"

"I'm not stealing, I'm temporarily borrowing," said blonde duelist plainly, pulling out ¥900 and placing it on the table. "There, that should cover it. Now, thank me."

Carley blinked, shocked by his arrogance... his oddly kind arrogance. She swallowed and smiled weakly while spluttering a feeble, "Thank you." Jack smirked smugly, looking quite pleased with himself. The former King then waved her off and left. That got Carley's blood boiling; the nerve of him! To do something nice for her, and then to just leave her without anything further--

The reporter sighed. It wasn't worth getting worked up over. She reached into her open bag again and pulled out her keys. Carley then stood up, gathered her things, and went outside.

Almost immediately, a chilly breeze shook the raven-haired woman to the bone. She pulled her coat around her tightly and re-wrapped her stripped scarf. The snow that fell was only half-way frozen by the time it reached the earth, nearly providing illusion of rain; that and the feeling of it as Carley's clothes began to dampen with melted ice.

She opened her car door, and discovered with great disdain that the inside of her car was as cold, if not colder than the outside. She breathed slowly, watching her steamy breath dissipate as she stuck her key into the ignition and tried to start the engine; _tried_, being the key word. The car spluttered and rumbled, but it didn't budge. Carley cried out in frustration when she realized that the gas in her car's engine must've frozen from the low temperature.

"This is not my day," she moaned, leaning her forehead up against the freezing steering wheel. Carley stayed there for a moment longer before she pushed herself into the back of her seat and exited her car, supposing she'd have to walk home and worry about her vehicle in the morning.

The street lights flickered dimly as Carley journeyed down the icy sidewalk, melting snow filtering into her shoes. The reporter hastily stuffed her hands into the front pockets of her jeans, silently wishing she had some gloves or mittens on her person.

"So, I guess that piece of crap that you call a car failed you." The hairs on Carley's neck stood up, fear gripping her in that single instant. She jumped up and spun around, only to discover that it was actually just Jack who had frightened her.

"Geez, Jack, you scared me!" she said in exasperation, though relieved. He cocked his eyebrow at her.

"Why?"

"Well... I don't know, it's late and it's dark..." her voice trailed off, hoping he would catch her drift; unfortunately, Jack was not so smart, and stared at her blankly. Carley sighed and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, a faint, embarrassed blush spreading across her cheeks. "Never mind," she added shyly. Jack hummed to himself, looking slightly irate, but he dropped the subject.

"So, your car... ?" he inquired expectantly, causing Carley even more humiliation.

"It wouldn't start," she mumbled in a hushed voice. Jack smirked knowingly and extended his arm to give her a little push forward, encouraging her to walk alongside him. Warmth filled the pit of her stomach, and she realized that this meant he intended to walk her home. Carley pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, side-stepping a inch to be closer to him.

"I thought so," he said, sliding his hands into the pockets of his pants, much to Carley's disappointment; this dampened her chances of possibly getting to hold his hand. However, her mind remained clouded with the wonderful fantasy of Jack turning on his supposedly legendary charm that had dazzled so many other woman; except now it would be used to enchant herself, so that he could capture her heart and they could run off and get married and have a beautiful son and--

Carley shook her head. She knew she couldn't get carried away; this was Jack Atlas after all, who in reality was simply an indifferent man with extraordinarily handsome looks.

"When you come back out of whatever world you're in right now, just let me know, okay?" grumbled Jack, snapping Carley out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" she asked, her eyes wide with confusion and her cheeks red with embarrassment; she couldn't believe he had actually caught her day-dreaming! Jack rolled his eyes, and averted his gaze from hers. He found himself staring aimlessly at the thinly iced street, listening to the crackling of the ice and sloshing of water as a car occasionally drove by where they walked.

"So how far is your place anyway?" he asked as the silence started to grow uncomfortable on both ends. Carley blinked and gave him and odd look that was even visible through her thickly-rimmed glasses.

"I live in the same apartment that I've always been in," she replied. Jack shrugged.

"That doesn't necessarily mean I remember where it was," he said nonchalantly, casting her a furtive glance. In perhaps any other circumstance, Carley would've been irked by this; she had warmly opened up the invitation to stay in her home to him for an entire week after his ungraceful end as king, which he readily accepted and milked for all it was worth. Beyond that, he had visited her on several other occasions after the whole Dark Signer incident, so how could he forget? Was he trying to get at something she didn't understand?

Carley remembered, however, that he was providing her with the kind service of escorting her home at such a dark and dangerous hour, so she kept her mouth shut about it.

"It's only about a block away now," she said, sounding surprisingly calm. Then, in a single instant, an awkward step on a particularly slick section of sidewalk caused her to lose what little balance she had to begin with, and fall backward--but impact never came. Instead, she found herself wrapped securely in Jack's right arm, whose quick reflexes allowed him to catch the falling girl.

"God, you really are a klutz, aren't you?" he said, helping her to standing evenly on her two feet again. His grasp on her never left, however, and Carley found herself looking directly into his intense, amethyst eyes. Her entire world seemed to freeze, and the only two that remained in it were herself and Jack. She noticed a rapid change in her heart rate, its beat growing louder and more impassioned until she felt as though it would punch out of her chest. She no longer felt the painful tingling in her fingers, or the icy water that surrounded her toes; nothing but warmth in her gut.

She could almost feel reality pause as his lips went to meet hers, and then all was lost. Nothing else existed, and Carley was just fine with that. She rose to the tips of her toes and tilted her head back, reaching to wrap her arms around his neck while encircled her waist with his. They kissed each other soundly for a moment until the met a pause for a break of fresh air, and went at it again.

When the moment ended and the world came climbing back in, Carley found herself still caught in the stupor that Jack Atlas had actually just kissed her. Jack chuckled and patted her on the shoulder, saying, "Come on, let's get you home before you trip again and I have to take you to the hospital for a cracked skull."

* * *

Comments: It's shorter than I wanted it to be, but oh well. I can only stretch a single idea so far.

This took _forever_ to write though. I don't even know why, I just had to keep chipping at it day by day until it was actually finished. Go figure. By the way, Train's song "Something More" kept playing in my head as I wrote this; not so much the lyrics, but the beautiful guitar... I love music.

Review because you love me. Probably.


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